Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System

ABSTRACT

The Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System (IDGSS) was designed to mitigate flooding due to rising sea water, severe rain and storm damages at costal area or other various waterfront properties like riverbanks, bay, beach, ocean, lake, marsh and low lying areas. The IDGSS has incorporated two functions simultaneously by separating water and land with a flood resilient fixed water barrier wall, but more importantly, has an automatic drainage system, especially for an unexpected severe and prolonged storms; to address the unintended consequence of trapping water inside the pre-existing water barrier walls. Unfortunately, during these severe storms, the trapped water has created a bathtub like scenario by the manmade fixed wall barriers, and causing an insult to an injury to an already devastated storm conditions, due to a lack of drainage systems. To mitigate this type of severe drainage problem, IDGSS was created with a characteristics of a concrete wall blocks, which includes a one-way valve or flap drain gate inside as a single unified structure, with an adjustable one-way valve or flap drain gate specification; with a various shape, sizes, materials and configurations for both one-way valve or flap gate and wall blocks; and adaptable retrofitting mechanisms to meet the site specific topography and special drainage needs. To protect the one-way valve or flap gate drainage system and to allow for an efficient drainage pathway system, the wall blocks are built to withstand severe wind and unpredictable weather conditions to become storm resilient, pressure reducing mechanism within the unlimited combinations of geometrical wall shape and size arrangements. Thus, the IDGSS is a reinforced wall system that can adapt to a specific drainage problem by allowing the trapped water to be returned back to where it came from as long as the water recedes by gravity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

During the Nor'easter storm of March of 2018, our neighborhood was flooded due to a severe wind with high tides that splashed water over the seawalls and the pounding rain that came with the storm too. Once the sea water splashed over the seawalls, because there is no drainage system for this type of a storm, the seawalls began to trap the water inside like a bathtub. Then, as the tide turned and sea level receded, the trapped water tried to escape between the cracks of the seawalls like a hose aiming for the beach. Even at low tide, there was no proper drainage, and the splashed seawater was unable to return to sea. The normal conventional street drainage infrastructures were completely clogged with debris like shells, seaweeds, mud, rocks and sand.

Since the trapped water was unable to escape, now the water level inside the seawalls were actually higher than the beach! (Photo A, B, C and D) No sooner, the second-high tide came and continued to trap even more water inside the seawalls, and causing erosions below the seawalls, and then the walls began to crack due to the bathtub pressure.

To make the matter worse, the tide gates broke during the storm at the marsh, and the power outage made them completely useless. The tide-gates too behaved like the seawalls, and began to trap the water inside the marsh like a bathtub, even at low tide. The marshes cannot handle such quantity of water and water from the marsh too began to spill over into the home and into the streets.

Moreover, the storm came with a severe rain, it too trapped additional water inside the marsh's bathtub, and in the land, street areas. Then, due to the ground saturation from the trapped water inside these seawalls and marshes, the trapped water began to enter into the basements from the floors of the basements, and the massive flooding ensued.

Therefore, these seawalls that are built to save us from the storms became a manmade bathtub and trapping the water inside land. Now, we have a manmade flooding.

Finally, during these super storms, when we are in desperate need of fast drainage the most, we had absolutely no drainage system at all. The conventional drainage/outfall systems were no match for these severe super storms with splashed water over the seawalls during the high tides, and were inundated with rain from above, and too overwhelmed by ton of wind, backup pressure force. In addition, since they are located at or buried below the street level, they are unable to adapt to such powerful storms. Thus, when we really needed the drainage the most, the current drainage systems were not working or functioning at below capacity as it was originally designed. Furthermore, it became a liability as a source a way for the storm water to backup into the homes via plumbing and/or sewage systems, into the streets via outfalls/drainage pipes, and exacerbate the flooding further.

Because we didn't evacuate during the storm, we were able to witness the entire storm cycle from high to low tides, for 3 consecutive days, while our neighborhood slowly became an island and surrounded by trapped water inside the manmade bathtub.

The problem was very clear: current fixed wall barriers, and like seawall designs are unable to drain water. As a result, additional flooding is created by the trapped water; this is the byproduct of the manmade wall barrier designs.

Now many cities like us are planning to build even taller walls to mitigate flooding. Unfortunately, as we make these walls taller, it will only create deeper bathtubs, and the severity of manmade flooding will increase even more.

Unfortunately, these fixed barriers like concrete walls were designed to minimize flooding and storm damages at coastal area or other various waterfront properties like riverbanks, bay, beach, ocean and low lying areas. However, due to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns of super storms, powerful rain, snow and early Spring thaw has created trapped water to fill inside these fixed walls near the land, streets and marshes, like a bathtub.

Therefore, even as the storm recedes, the trapped water inside these fixed wall barriers continued to flood the properties far longer and increase the flood risk. This is because these walls were never designed for drainage, only to keep the water out.

Now, the walls are no longer able to keep us safe, rather it has become hazardous, especially with all the impervious surface areas created by man, like parking lot, asphalt street, concrete pavements, downspout drainage systems and more buildings near the water. Once the water enters the land area, there is really not many places to go anymore. Thus, the troubles of man's affinity water.

Therefore, this traditional concept of building walls without incorporating drainage systems has become a severe drainage problem all over the world.

So, out of this disaster, Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System (IDGSS) was born.

Our invention of the Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System is not only used as a reinforcement system to mitigate the shoreline erosion near the oceans, rivers, lakes and other large bodies of water, but even more importantly, when we need the drainage the most, it will allow the captured water to be released back to where it came from like the sea, as soon as the water recedes.

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2) In addition, other systems like tide gates, when the Float switch cannot operate due to the electrical power outage, it further exacerbated the bathtub scenario. Instead of letting the water out during the low tide, the tide gates only increase the amount of the water trapped even further.

3) Moreover, the normal street drainage systems are not functional during such storms, due to severe wind pressure from the sea. Matter fact, sea water came into the street not only over the walls but from the normal drainage systems below. It was causing additional flooding into the street. Then, as the water receded at sea during the low tide, we noticed that the drainage systems were completely blocked with the storm debris like mud, seaweed, sand, shells . . . etc. Therefore, when we really needed the drainage system the most, There was no drainage system during these severe storms!

4) Finally, during these super storms, when we are in desperate need of fast drainage system, we had absolutely no drainage at all. These drainage systems were not made for the severe storms since they are buried below the street level. This type of conventional drainage system was not made to adapt to such powerful storms.

In the end, our man made walls created further flooding by creating a bathtub without any overflow drainage system.

.

, to be able to face the challenge of when water comes at all water front properties,

to adapt to climate changes

We must adapt to new environment by seawall storm surge barriers at low lying area

We must change the way we design the water barriers

The cost of storm damage are in millions and cities are vulnerable ever more.

Eventually something will happen and will flood

These walls are made to be climate resilient

Slow the energy of the storm, but when storm recedes, it can drain quickly

With the rising sea level and water border

Man has created a barrier between the areas of water and land. This system was designed to minimize the damages due to the flooding and storms at coastal area or other various waterfront properties. However, this barrier designs were missing an important point. Once the water enters inside the barrier, there was no efficient methods to drain the water again. Thus, causing negative consequences of creating a bathtub inside the barrier and causing further flooding.

During a severe storm, it is imperative that the water be drained as soon as possible, especially at sea. Since the water must drain during quickly before the next high tide. Time is of essence in this type of situation, to minimize the damages due to accumulated splashed water inside the wall barriers.

It is like having a plug at the side of the bathtub in case of emergency. We must think outside of the box. We wouldn't dare create bathtubs w/out a drainage at the top. Currently, we are building walls without them, and once the splashed water enters inside the walls, the waters are trapped and it is now causing additional flooding.

Overflow Structure. The bathtub drain is divided into two parts--the main drain and the overflow. The main drain is at the bottom of the tub and the overflow is a few inches below the rim. Both drains are connected to tubes which meet beneath the bathtub and merge into a single pip

Specification

When the sea water rises up and the marsh water is lower than the sea water level, the flap gate inside the drain gate will close by itself, because of the sea water pressure. Therefore, the sea water cannot enter the marsh.

This specialized seawall has a flap-gate integrated as a part of the drain system. In addition, it has columns embedded in the seawall itself, just in front of the flap-gate. These columns will defuse the water pressure during the storm, as the waves hit the seawall and the flap-gate.

This integrated drain gate seawall system has a flap-gate inside, that can drain the splashed over sea water and stop the sea water from entering the marsh, without any external power. It also has a barrier to protect the flap gate within the seawall as a one unit.

This type of integrated drain gate seawall can be inserted to any existing ordinary seawalls.

Now, after a severe storm damages like this, cities are planting to either rebuild walls/barrier even higher than the previous walls to combat the splashing over. However, unless we build a 20 feet tall walls or higher, it is not possible to prevent splashing over the concrete walls. Matter fact, the higher the walls become, the bathtub gets even bigger and the severity of flooding is even higher. Since the water also enters from the current drainage systems, due to backpressure.

we cannot stop the mother nature when it comes to the height of water splashing over our walls, but once the the water is inside these walls, we have to drain out as soon as possible to minimise the flood damages.

Due to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns of rain, snow and early Spring thaw has

waterfront properties such as riverbanks, lake shores and beaches of oceans, bays and the like to protect them from erosion and encourage accretion of beach sand and gravel are disclosed

Improved seawalls and the like can be built from L

Systems based upon such seawalls may further comprise groins per

Sy

As we live near the water, man has built fixed barriers likes many types of walls between the areas of water and land. This system was designed to minimize flooding and storm damages at coastal area or other various waterfront properties. However, where there is a super storms, these walls began to hold the spahsed water inside the land, street or marshes, like a bathtub. Unfortunately, because walls are only designed to keep the water out, even as the water recedes, like at low tide, the sea water is unable to return to drain.

T Thus, causing unintended consequences of creating a bathtub with the barriers like seawalls and causing further flooding.

IDGSS: New type of seawall with 2 functions: It not only stops the water from coming into the land but more importantly, able to drain the water back to the sea, as soon as the tide recedes.

This IDGSS can be inserted between the existing seawalls or it can be attached to an existing seawall with different configuration to meet the special topography needs

This drainage system does not require electricity, no special gates, or extra pipe/drainage necessary . . . only gravity.

PROBLEM: current seawall designs are unable to drain water.

During the extreme sea storms, the sea water splashes into the street/marsh. Unfortunately, because seawalls are only designed to keep the water out, even at low tide, the sea water is unable to return back to the sea.

Instead, the seawalls are holding the water like a bathtub and create further flooding instead of preventing the flood!!

This picture was taken during our own flooding at Quincy, Mass. The water inside the seawall is higher and unable to escape, even trying to escape below the seawall. The sea side shows that it is already a low tide.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Our invention of the Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System (IDGSS) is not only used as a reinforcement system to mitigate the shoreline erosion and flooding near the oceans, rivers, lakes, marsh and other bodies of water, but even more importantly, it provides the drainage system when it is needed the most. As soon as the water recedes, the IDSGSS system will release the trapped water back to where it came from.

Despite the wide applicability of the IDGSS systems of the invention near the water, for simplicity and easy understanding, we may express in terminology applicable to salt water beaches and near the marsh area.

Normally, manmade wall barriers are constructed to separate the dry land from rising and splashing water damages coming from bodies of water like beach, lake, ocean, river, marsh and bays alike. However, due to the rising sea level, severe flash flooding, and its increase in severity and frequency of the storms combined with an unpredictable weather patterns, now the walls are increasingly getting taller and even wider to mitigate the flood damages.

Unfortunately, there isn't adequate drainage system during these storms and cannot be mitigated with a conventional drainage system only. ie: high wave storms with the winds blowing upwards of 80 mph, or severe hurricane, and sea water splashing over during astronomical high tide, snow and early thaw, flash flooding of pouring rain in a short amount of time, and storm drainages backing up. The water is coming from above, sides and below. Therefore, without proper drainage system inside these manmade walls, it begins to trap water and behaves like a bathtub.

All normal bathtubs are automatically installed with 2 drainage systems; one at the bottom for a normal drainage and another near the top with an overflow drainage to eliminate the risk of causing the entire bathroom to flood. Regretfully, none of our walls have overflow drainage system like the bathtubs made for homes. Now, as we make the walls even taller, the bathtubs are getting deeper, and trapping even more water, to create additional flooding inside these manmade walls, and overflowing to land area.

So, in order to stop the bathtub created by manmade structures like concrete walls, Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System (IDGSS) is designed to resolve the bathtub scenario problem. Especially, with all the pre-existing walls that are no longer able to meet the today's flooding conditions due to climate changes, time is of essence to correct this bathtub problem as soon as possible before the next storm arrives.

Currently, the cost of replacing or building walls are in millions of dollars, not to mention the lead-in time required to obtain permits from various agencies, applying for federal and state grants, site survey and evaluations, and not to mention the actual time required to construct these new walls. We are talking years!! How do we know this? We are actually going through this process right now in our own neighborhood!

Thus, our IDGSS tries to solve these problems efficiently, in a timely manner, with a minimal cost; by having a customized, retrofit enabled, ready-made walls, which has a built-in drainage system integrated into a wall system already.

Currently, trapped water inside these manmade seawalls are unable to drain, even as the water begins to recede at low tide there was no way for the trapped water to return to sea or wherever it came from. However, with the IDGSS, the trapped water will be drained as long as the level of the trapped water is higher than the sea.

Just like the overflow drainage system for the bathtub, a one-way valve or flap drain gate is made together from the very beginning stage, as one unit within the concrete wall itself. Most importantly, it includes the pressure reducing walls and columns, to protect the intrinsic structures of the drainage gate wall system, from the extreme pressure damages brought on by the combined high wind speeds with water during the storm.

Most importantly, the IDGSS drains the trapped water automatically without relying on man power or electricity, and easily inspected and maintained since it is an exposed system; an ideal wall barrier and drainage system for super storms, to mitigate unpredictable weather conditions even during winter season.

In addition, since the IDGSS does not have to be installed for new construction only, it can be inserted between the existing walls and retrofit to allow pre-existing walls to remain and allow necessary drainage system. The IDGSS will have an adjustable size, style, color, material, and shape configurations for both the one-way valve or flap drain gate mechanism and for the wall constructions surrounding the gate, to meet the various site specifications and topography needs for the specific project.

Moreover, it can be made to retrofit to different location types like the marsh areas, where tide-gate and preexisting walls are already in place. IDGSS can work together as a backup, in case the tide-gate has a mechanical and/or electrical failure. Furthermore, the IDGSS can be added on one at a later time or as many as needed, to alleviate the drainage problems in an already existing wall barriers.

Therefore, IDGSS is a flood resilient system to meet the current drainage needs by incorporating with other fixed wall constructions. It is not only built to withstand the mother nature, but creating walls that are climate resilient with unpredictable weather patterns; by acknowledging that water levels can and will rise higher than the original prior wall specifications. Instead of destroying the existing walls, IDGSS has sustainability component by allowing pre-existing walls to mitigate the stresses of the drainage system when faced with these super storms.

We also see IDGSS as an emergency planning component to mitigate the storms, in case of tide-gate failure at the marsh, or the normal drainage system blocked with storm debris or overwhelmed, or one way check-valves for the outfall drainage systems break due to a ton of wind/water storm pressure, or local department of public services are unable to maintain the municipal drainage systems in a timely manner in the middle of the winter due to too many frequent storms or frozen drainage systems; and thus, unable to drain the trapped water from the bathtub.

Having IDGSS is like buying an insurance policy for a manmade wall hazardous plan, in the event of overflowing due to lack of drainage system and causing further flooding. This is a cost effective and immediate solution to a bathtub like flooding, an accidental byproduct caused by the manmade walls during an unpredictable storm patterns.

Finally, we don't need to wait 2 or 3 years until the entire drainage infrastructure system is studied, drawings made, permits pulled, and money borrowed or to be funded by federal or state, and wait for an entire new walls to be built. Instead, one of our IDGSS can retrofit into an existing wall structure and be used immediately to mitigate the hazardous flood conditions created by manmade walls. Thus, making all the pre-existing walls to become more storm resilient than ever before.

After all, the walls are designed to protect us, not to drown us further. It is about time that we think about these walls in a different manner, a transient, adaptable, sustainable and resilient revolving doors, instead of a fixed single door. We must think outside of the box. We need to drain the rising or trap water constantly and automatically in order to avoid the flooding caused by the climate change, especially at sea. We wouldn't dare make a bathtub without an overflow drainage at the top for an emergency. We shouldn't build walls without an emergency overflow drainage system for severe storms.

We cannot stop the mother nature, but once the water is inside these walls, we have to drain it out as soon as possible to minimize the flood damages.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System (IDGSS) was created to mitigate flooding due to rising sea water and storm damages at costal area or other various bodies of water like riverbanks, bay, beach, ocean, marsh, lake and low-lying areas

Despite the wide applicability of the IDGSS systems of the invention near the water, for simplicity and easy understanding, we may express in terminology applicable to salt water, ocean, beaches and near the marsh area with a water barrier wall.

In addition, since major cities in the world are built near the shore line and the IDGSS can be of a great use to create a resilient coastal community by alleviating drainage problems, to facilitate easy access and to maximize the benefit of finding this invention for the users, the word “seawall” was included in the title name of the invention. However, the IDGSS is designed to create an additional drainage solution including all areas of water barrier walls, and not only for seawalls.

To solve the bathtub scenario flooding problem caused by the trapped water inside the manmade walls, especially during the storms with high tide and winds together with rain storms, the normal drainage infrastructure is unable to drain fast enough. Thus, overflow drainage system like IDGSS is needed. Although, these events are infrequent, the devastation caused by such storms are hazardous, costly and can cripple an entire city.

Therefore, in order to be able to mitigate and control the erosion, by wind, wave, at the beaches, riverbanks, lakefronts, bays and other water bodies, we need a flexible barrier system that has dual functioning barrier with a drainage system integrated. To facilitate such multifunctional water barrier walls, the drainage system must be integrated with the wall itself and its construction and usages are as follows but not limited to the illustrations of the Figures.

Once the specified topography has been designated for water barrier wall project construction, placements of IDGSS can be based on its proper elevation and grading specific per site location. In addition, 1 or more IDGSS systems can be placed based on the drainage requirements and to become resilient to flooding in the future.

The construction may be on site or precast IDGSS, and it is not only for the new construction, but retrofit to existing wall structures. Furthermore, the construction may be implemented proactively to adapt to changing conditions and flood elevations.

The IDGSS is used during the storms or when the normal drainage systems fail due to blockage, or mechanical failures, or failures of tide gates at the marsh, or other water barrier wall failures. Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide a wall barrier, which opens automatically under a predetermined water pressure to drain the water.

IDGSS consisting of combinations of 4 major components, as needed, to meet the project site specification; for optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and the manner of usage and operation of the dual functioning walls of IDGSS as a barrier and drainage, all in one.

In addition, this invention need not be created by reproducing the precise illustration like the FIGS. 1-12. Rather, it will be constructed with combinations of characteristics provided below, and the possible arrangements of IDGSS are unlimited.

Currently, coastal barriers have seawalls only, to prevent the water from entering. However, during the major sea storm and at high tide, the rate of water entering is faster than normal. Therefore, the splashed water over the wall is now trapped and unable to drain quickly back to the sea during a low tide. As a result, additional flooding is created by the trapped water; this is the byproduct of the current manmade wall barrier designs.

The IDGSS is designed to resolve the bathtub problem due to trapped water behind the wall barriers, by gravity drainage system without human or electrical powers.

-   -   1. Wall(s) and column(s) configuration and design:         -   a. IDGSS in including all types of wall barriers used to             mitigate flooding; such as due to severe rain storm, sea             storm, rising river, or increase in lake volume . . . etc.         -   b. The primary function of the barrier wall is to protect             the one-way valve or flap drain gate system from storm             damages like wind, wave and water pressure force. These             wall(s) and/or column like blocks are placed in front of the             one-way valve or flap drain gate. The purpose is to defuse             the wind/water pressure during the storm as it hits the             wall(s) instead of the one-way valve or flap drain gate             system. Because mother nature's destructive powers are             unpredictable, and debris can impair the drainage             infrastructure         -   c. In addition, the strategic wall block geometric             formations create an efficient pathway for the trapped water             to exit from the bathtub quickly, and to make spaces to             insert the one-way valve or flap drain gate system, to             install grate screens, and to add an emergency shut-off             door. (FIG. 3)         -   d. The shape and number of the block(s) formation may have a             unlimited various options, and not limited to our sample             figures: like square (FIG. 11), pentagon (FIG. 10), octagon,             hexagon, trapezoid, rhombus, or L-shaped (FIG. 9), U-shaped             or parallelogram (FIG. 9), perpendicular or parallel layers,             any other number of combinations of shapes . . . etc. For             example, it may have one or more shapes of various geometric             wall blocks, or mixed shape combinations like pentagon wall             block and rectangle wall block (FIG. 10) of L-shaped and             parallel layer style walls (FIG. 9).         -   e. Also, the wall facing patterns may be flexible depending             on the bodies of water type: for example, like vertical,             concave or stepped facing, and to retrofit to existing wall             shapes.         -   f. The size and material of the wall may vary in its depth,             length, height and weight to meet the stress of the wind             load and water pressure, and to meet the drainage project             site specification.         -   g. The configuration and number of the geometrical shape of             wall blocks may vary to meet the shape of the pre-existing             walls or topography to retrofit in existing conditions. For             example, concave, 3 blocks consisted of 2 L-shaped and one             square center wall (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4).         -   h. The number of exit openings vary to accommodate the speed             of trapped water exiting and to have the most efficient             drainage system.     -   2. Flap gate or one-way valve drainage system designed for         project site specific drainage requirements.         -   a. The backflow preventing operated one-way valve or flap             drain gate system materials may vary and flexible like             stainless, iron, neoprene, aluminum or composite of other             materials . . . etc and of various material types for seats,             lips and seals like neoprene, rubber or others are project             site specific.         -   b. The shape of the one-way valve or flap drain gate may be             variable, like circular, rectangle or square to meet the             specification of the wall with various opening sizes, to             meet the specific head conditions and water pressure, and             various project site specific.         -   c. The size of the one-way valve or flap drain gate will             vary in depth, length, height and weight, and its opening             sizes as well as the type of hinges, to meet the             specification of the drainage requirements.         -   d. Finally, depending on the location of the water bodies,             there may be various types of backflow preventing one-way             valve or flap drain gate systems available.     -    As the storm surges and the trapped water is elevated, the         one-way valve or flap drain gate responds as the seawater level         recedes; any water that was splashed over inside the wall can         exit automatically. However, when the water level is lower         inside than the level outside of the wall at sea, the one-way         valve or flap drain gate will close by itself, because of the         outside water pressure. Therefore, the outside water cannot         enter the land or marsh area, inside the wall.     -    This drainage system doesn't require man power, electricity,         generator, pump, and easily visible for inspections.     -   3. Grid screens:         -   a. The function of the grid screen is to protector the             one-way valve or flap gate drainage system, by preventing             any foreign matters, debris, from entering the walls, and             makes it easy to access for maintenance. In addition, it is             a pathway for the trapped water to enter and exit the IDGSS             system.         -   b. The installation of the primary grid screen is placed in             front of the one-way valve or flap gate drainage system. The             placement of the other exit grid(s) are placed at the rear             of the one-way valve or flap gate, as the trapped water             exits the IDGSS.         -   c. The grids material, size, and shape may vary to fit the             site specification and depending on the specific wall(s)             configurations.         -   d. The number of grids are flexible and to meet the design             of the one-way valve or flap gate and wall configurations.             Also, the more exit grids may be needed to adjust the rate             of trapped water leaving the IDGSS. (FIG. 1) However, there             is a minimum of 2 grid screens to protect the IDGSS drainage             function of one-way valve or flap drain gate; one in front             and 2nd at the rear.     -   4. Emergency shut-off door.         -   a. The emergency shut-off door can slide and insert into the             wall, in front of the one-way valve or flap gate system             facing the land. (FIG. 5)         -   b. The function is to close the one-way valve or gate when             the one-way valve or flap gate malfunctions.     -   A) The IDGSS can be installed along with the new wall barrier         installations but can be added at a later date as well.     -   B) The IDGSS can be retrofit and inserted between the existing         wall barriers and added on to facilitate an incompetent drainage         system at the existing location.     -   C) These IDGSS wall structures consists of having 1 or more         shapes and or combinations of shapes. This flexibility of wall         arrangements will allow for IDGSS to be resilient to flooding at         various elevations: per specification of the topography, and can         be constructed with 2, 3 or more different elevation levels,         with different height, width and depth. Just like the bathtub at         home, the higher the wall is, the deeper the bathtub will be,         and the measurements will vary since added flood risks will         vary, and the rate of drainage will be modified accordingly.     -   D) In addition, depending on the location of the IDGSS         placement, specifications will vary. If the walls are facing an         open sea, the pressure from the wind and water will vary         depending on the type water faced by these walls. Thus, the         configurations and specification of these IDGSS will vary in         pressure reducing barriers and grids in its, height, depth,         width to accommodate project site specificity by its facing         location.     -   E) This IDGSS system will drain out the accumulated water from         the inside the walls constantly and consistently until the         pressure is equalized between the land and water source.     -   F) If there is a tide-gate in use, IDGSS system can be         incorporated to compensate for possible failure of tide-gate         system during the super storms like at sea. Why? When the Float         switch cannot operate due to the electrical power outage or the         tide-gate may break due to wind/water pressure. Then, instead of         letting the water out during the low tide, the marsh is trapping         the water inside by the tide-gate system. Thus, trapped water         will rise in the marsh as the broken tide-gate trapping even the         rain water and the sea water will both overflow into the land,         homes and other infrastructures like the main street, and         overwhelm the street level drainage system, and eventually         backup the infrastructures like the sewage systems. The failure         of the tide-gate related flood damages are severe and the         properties near the marshes are evermore at risk due to rising         sea level and its severity.     -   G) Currently, coastal barriers have seawalls only, to prevent         the sea waves/water from entering. However, during the major sea         storm and at high tide, the rate of sea water entering is higher         than normal. Therefore, the sea water is unable to drain quickly         back to the sea during a low tide.     -   Our invention of the Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System is not         only used as a reinforcement system to mitigate the shoreline         erosion near the oceans, rivers, lakes, bays and other bodies of         water, but even more importantly, it will allow the trapped         water to be drained back to where it came from, as long as the         trapped water is higher than the sea.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Due to inability to draw figures adequately, and illustrate the Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System (IDGSS), we have included photos of possible models that may be built to show the characteristics more clearly. In addition, the Figures are just an illustration of IDGSS and are not necessarily to scale.

FIG. 1: Photo model in 3-dimension configuration, of combination of square and L-shape blocks, facing from the water: 2 sides and one center square. Flap valve is representing flap gate drainage mechanism.

FIG. 2: Rear view photo of FIG. 1 from land side view and emergency shut-off door.

FIG. 3: Top view photo of FIG. 1, showing 3 wall block configuration and the pathway for water to exist.

FIG. 4: Hand drawing of FIG. 1 in 3 dimensions, viewing from the sea.

FIG. 5: Hand drawing of FIG. 1 Center block only, side view.

FIG. 6: Hand drawing of FIG. 1 Center block only, in 3 dimension.

FIG. 7: Hand drawing of FIG. 4, Left side block only, in 3 dimension, side view.

FIG. 8: Hand drawing of FIG. 4, Right side block only, in 3 dimension, side view.

FIG. 9: Hand drawing of top view, illustration possible configuration of wall blocks like L-shape, with 2 existing walls.

FIG. 10: Hand drawing of 2 shape type combination configuration of IDGSS illustration: Pentagon and U-shaped shaped. Also, showing with 2 previously existing wall blocks.

FIG. 11: Sample configuration of Rectangle shaped model facing from water, with 2 previously existing wall blocks, in 3 dimension.

FIG. 12: FIG. 11 facing from the land. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. An Integrated Drain Gate Seawall System (IDGSS) wall structure for protecting land or low-lying, marsh area inside the water barrier wall from flooding like a bathtub by the bodies of trapped water coming from above, side and below like severe rain, splashing storm surge and storm drainage backup, comprising: a. A wave, wind, water pressure force blocking barrier wall(s) and/or column block placed between the bodies of water and land/marsh. b. An integrated including one-way valve or flap drainage gate placed facing the land or low-lying, marsh area with gravity, hydrostatic pressure operated c. At least 2 or more grid screens; one inside, placed in front of the flap drain gate facing the land, others are facing near the bodies of water where trapped water will exist. d. An emergency shut-off door placed towards the wall facing near the land or marsh.
 2. The IDGSS construction of claim 1 in which water barrier walls and columns comprising plurality of wall block units, wall facing shapes, configurations, shapes, size, material, arrangements and geometric combinational formations between the lateral and adjacent walls.
 3. The IDGSS construction of claim 2 in which water barrier walls and columns comprising plurality of meeting the existing walls, topography and project site specific location.
 4. The IDGSS construction of claim 1 comprising a plurality of flap drainage gate unit, shape, size, material and design.
 5. The IDGSS construction of claim 1 comprising a plurality of grid screen units, configurations, shapes, size, material and design.
 6. The IDGSS construction of claim 1 comprising a plurality of emergency shut-off door unit, shape, size, material and design.
 7. A IDGSS method for protecting land or low-lying, marsh area inside the water barrier wall from flooding like a bathtub by the bodies of trapped water coming from above, side and below like severe rain, splashing storm surge and storm drainage backup, comprising a. Providing a customized wave, wind, water pressure blocking barrier wall(s) and/or column(s) to protect the one-way valve or flap gate system and to provide drainage as the wall guides the trapped water laterally as it exits automatically from the bathtub to the water outside like the sea or where it came from. When the water level is higher inside the wall than the level outside of the wall, the one-way valve or flap gate will open by itself and begin to drain. b. Providing a customized configuration of the geometrical shape wall blocks that meets the not only for new constructions, but an existing walls or topography. c. Providing a customized wave, wind, water pressure blocking barrier wall(s) to protect the site specific one-way valve or flap gate drainage system project. d. Providing an IDGSS as needed by retrofitting the existing wall(s), or added on at a later time to meet further drainage needs due to climate changes and overflow drainage needs, or as a proactive measure to mitigate flooding 